


Everyone Notices

by YourIsis



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Drinking away the pain, F/M, Josh is frustrated, Sometimes this kid just can't win
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-06-10 03:58:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6938713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourIsis/pseuds/YourIsis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone notices that Josh wants to be more than your friend. That is, everyone but you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everyone Notices

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally meant to be an addition to the "And Then You Happened" collection, but it didn't fit in the way I wanted it to. I'm still satisfied with the final product though, and definitely wanted to share it! I hope you enjoy!

What the hell was with Josh?

He hadn’t answered his phone in a whole day, which was incredibly strange for you two. Normally you’d both be shooting texts back and forth at a rate that sometimes irked the company you were in.

It couldn’t be helped. You two were attached at the hip or fingertips. Always.

So why had things gone dry on his end?

The lock chamber made a familiar clinking sound as you shoved your key in with trembling fingers. He’d made the copy for you after the first time he got drunk and nearly slit his throat open with a kitchen knife in his inebriated state. From that point on you swore to check up on him if too much time had gone by since you heard his voice.

All the lights were out in the entry way. Hell, they were out all over the house.

“Josh!?” You called as you crept through the hallway.

Only silence answered, cold and dangerous. You bounced his name off the walls again before getting lost in the whoosh of blood pounding in your ears.

Suddenly there was a clunk from upstairs, followed by a muffled and disgruntled, “ _Shit_ …”

A relieved breath shuddered through your chest. That was definitely Josh’s voice.

 

* * *

 

Josh quickly steadied the bottle before the rest of the liquid could escape. Damn thing was expensive and wouldn’t do him any good if he spilled it all over. It was the only thing keeping his mind somewhat off of his mistakes.

He was so damn stupid.

The vodka bottle’s lip was just barely kissing his when you walked into his room without knocking.

You both stared at each other for a moment, completely frozen. His green eyes burned into yours, wide but removed at the same time. Finally he murmured out your name in a breathy sound, shaking you back to focus.

“Josh, what the hell are you doing?” You eyed the bottle as he lowered it like a kid caught pulling up flowers in their mother’s garden. “You swore you would call if you felt like--”

“—I know what I said.” Nevertheless he held the glistening bottle out to you. “Wanna join me?”

“No.” You shut the door behind you. “No I don’t. Why didn’t you call me?” He clearly wasn’t well and it made your heart skip. Circles spread under his eyes, darker than you’d ever seen them.

Josh shrugged a little as he put the bottle to his lips again.

Oh hell no. You were not going to deal with that. In two steps you swiped the bottle from his hand which earned you a particularly nasty look. Nothing new, really. If Josh was drunk at a party he tended to be flirty and amusing. However, when he drank emotionally, drunk Josh easily became angry Josh. Luckily for you, you had experience in dealing with these bursts of anger.

Fluid swished around in the bottle as you held it against you, drawing your attention to the fact that the generous sized bottle of vodka was already half empty. A sigh escaped your lips. “Why?” That was all you could ask.

Josh turned his gaze away and mumbled something unintelligible.

“What?”

A long moment passed before his eyes met yours again. “Do you really care why?”

The words stung. “Of course I do. When have I never _not_ cared, Josh?” Caution to the wind, you strode toward him, abandoning the bottle on his nightstand so you could hug him.

Or so you tried.

He stood before your hands could touch him, completely taking you off-guard. Your surprise gave him the leeway he needed to back you up against the wall at the other end of his room all in a matter of seconds. His hands came to a shocking slam on either side of your head as he pinned you down with his eyes.

“Even Chris was surprised, you know?” He ground out as he watched you. “Everyone was. Everyone notices but _you_.” Now his neck and cheeks were flushed. Whether it was from the vodka was yet to be decided.

Sweat beaded at the back of your neck. He’d never actually hurt you, but he _was_ ferocious in rare moments. You softened your voice and tried: “What don’t I notice, Josh?”

Words didn’t come out. He didn’t even know how to describe it if you couldn’t see it yourself. He slowly placed his hands on either side of your waist as if he was afraid you’d bolt the second he made contact. The touch was gentle and warm as his thumbs brushed the hem of your shirt, barely catching the skin underneath. Little shivers went up your spine, escalating into waves of sensation when his head dropped to your neck.

Memories of last week’s party came flooding into your head. Apparently he’d really been serious when he was flirting with you. Damn. For the first time in your friendship, or whatever it was, he was making an honest move, and you’d shot him down without even meaning to.

Shit.

What did you want? He’d always teased the hell out of you. It was just what you two _did_.

His hips suddenly pressed to yours and it took every ounce of self-control for you not to moan.

Clearly your body already knew.

You bit your lip to take the edge off the pleasured gasp that rushed out as his mouth pressed to the sweetest spot on your neck. Teeth followed, sending your hands to gripping the back of his shirt, relishing in the feel of lean muscle underneath. Then his hands came to your hair and wove in to find a solid grip as he kissed up the column of your neck. You nearly screeched. Damn, you were coming undone, and quickly at that.

Pinned to the wall, Josh gripped your jaw and forced you to look at him. The touch wasn’t uncomfortable, just sobering to your current situation. He looked as if he was going to kiss you, and you wanted that. You wanted it more than anything.

“Joshua,” your hand carefully covered his affectionately, trying to coax him in. Trying to tell him it was okay. However, your movement seemed to have the opposite effect. His green eyes grew wide and more aware, lust rushing out as quickly as it had come.

“Fuck,” he backed up, suddenly hyperaware of his surroundings. “I’m so sorry, (Y/n). Holy shit.” He hid his face in his hands as he staggered back to his bed.

“No, Josh,” you chased, but he was already curling up on the bed and clearly embarrassed. He brought his knees to his chest and pressed his forehead against the makeshift surface while his fingers clutched his hair in desperation. The sight broke your heart into a million pieces. How long had he been this torn up about you?

“Josh…” you tried again, approaching cautiously.

“Please,” he murmured into the fabric of his sweatpants, “I don’t feel good.” Something else followed quietly, but the darkness of the room swallowed it up.

With a sigh you carefully untangled his fingers from his hair and coaxed him into make eye contact. “I’m going to go downstairs and get you some water, okay?” To your relief he nodded so you gave his hand one last comforting squeeze before going to do just that.

 

* * *

 

Josh had turned on the lights in your absence but with the air so thick with tension he might as well have left them off. Regardless, he did appear to be a little calmer, though no less miserable.

“(Y/n)..” He murmured dejectedly as you approached.

“Joshua,” you countered, only your eyes were soft and full of something he wanted but couldn’t allow himself to bet money on.

He accepted the cup you offered but only sat there holding it while you took in his form.

“I was thinking,” his eyes lifted as you spoke. “How about I stay over tonight and we can spend all tomorrow watching your favorite movies?”

Luckily he didn’t look so opposed to the idea. “I could go for that. Sure.”

There was that weight in the air again. You had to do _something_ to lift it. “Do you think you can eat dinner if I make it?” A little food in his alcohol-saturated system couldn’t hurt.

A tiny quirk of his lip. “As long as it isn’t poisoned.”

“Oops, you caught me!” The volley prompted a small smile to part his lips. Perfect. “I’ll be up later, okay?”

“Yeah. Alright.”

Josh’s smile remained until the door shut behind you. A pained expression replaced it as the reality of what he had just done set in. There was no going back now, and that scared him.

With the last bit of his energy he ripped the pillow from the sheets next to him and launched it clear across the room where it hit the wall with an unsatisfying thump.

“I’m a fucking _idiot_.”


End file.
